The Nature Goddess Series

My painting series have always been autobigraphical. My most recent series, The Nature Goddesses, continue that tradition.

​In 2013 I sustained a brain injury that left me with a never ending headache and Post Concussion Syndrome. Feeling lost, scared, and unable to do many of the things I used to do, I turned to art and Mother Nature for healing. My husband and I sold our home in the city, moved to our little farm house deep in the in the woods, and began to simplify our lives.

​Since then, my artwork has evolved to reflect my new surroundings and the new practices I have incorporated into my healing plan. I am now in the process of turning our farm into a healing retreat to help others, as I continue my own journey of healing and reconfiguring my life. You can learn more about that here.

Below is some of the art living at our new home, which we named, Little Wing Hollow, has inpired me to create. You can read my artist's statement at the bottom of this page. It explains my connection to Nature and the Goddesses in more detail.

"Speak the sacred language of Nature" is my message and mantra.

My art holds a message of empowerment and peace. A reminder that each of us is born with a sacred language, or code of nature, within us. Written into our DNA, this code connects us to the web of life, keeping us grounded, and living in harmony with the rhythm of the Universe. The knowledge that we possess this amazing gift is often forgotten. Entrenched in our daily lives, we question our purpose beyond the mundane chores at hand and feel we're going nowhere, much like a rat on a wheel. The reward, frustratingly and eternally out of view. My art's message assures the viewer that feelings of insignificance have a simple remedy. The answers are held within that code inside each of us, and we already hold the key. The process begins simply having a relationship with Mother Nature.

Children express the sacred language of Nature within moments of being turned loose in a forest. They forge forward fearlessly, peeking under moss-covered rocks to watch ants at work. They witness the swift hawk hunting mice, and contemplate the fallen mighty oak rotting to provide a fertile bed to tiny acorns. Children never doubt that even after the harshest winters, the green of Spring will appear. They inherently understand the interconnectedness of living things, and more importantly, that understand that they are an important part in the intricate fabric of life.

Adults, on the other hand, particularly women, are taught to shed and narrow their wild imaginations before they enter adulthood. They're told to tone down their wanderlust, love of dirt, and exploration. They become safe, sensible, sanitized. Routines and conveniences of modern life distance them from the natural world. This disconnect kills spirit and purpose. Wiggling one's toes in the grass doesn't become an aversion particularly, it simply fails to become a priority.

In the time it takes a viewer to consider one of my paintings, I hope to find a loose thread in the veil of this nature deficiency, and begin to unravel it. I aim to rekindle an interest of the natural world. Perhaps, I'll spark a childhood memory. Many of the components in my art are plucked directly from my own childhood, spent running wild, with cousins in Kentucky forests and hollows. Sticks as scepters. Feathers and boughs in our hair. Dirty feet and faces. "Halt! This is our Kingdom!" We felt we both ruled and protected the woods we explored. Feelings of jubilance and empowerment remained, even long after the dirt was scrubbed from us.

My recent work depicts women as Nature Goddesses, Deities of Nature, and portraits of women as Goddesses of their own imagining. All peaceful, powerful women existing within nature. Some count stars, tend carefully to nests, or cradle wildlife, and some meditate the "Sabbe Satta Sukhi Hontu. May all beings be happy. May all beings be well." The message is broad and is intended for everyone. It's not necessary to hike a up a mountain to unlock the code. All you have to do is to go outside and listen. Begin there. You might be surprised at the messages you receive right away.

As a mantra, "Speak the sacred language of Nature," means to me, that Mother Nature is our greatest teacher and grandest inspiration. Leo Tolstoy said, "One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between Man and Nature shall not be broken." In every walk with Nature, the sacred language is speaking its wisdom to us. Answers emerge, perspective gained, self worth is validated, and things we can't quite name, begin to heal. A message of empowerment, strength, and possibility is surely dire to someone at any given moment, and many people at specific moments of communal crisis. If I can gently reintroduce viewers to Mother Nature, I feel certain she'll guide them, one or all, the rest of the way.

The lofty aspirations of my message and mantra, are tempered by the approachable simplicity of my technique. Most of my work shown in galleries is considered "pop-folk." Coined by Kentucky author Michael Jones, it accurately describes my work. Figurative, folk-style portraits, with solid color fields, contained within solid black lines, are reminiscent of pop art. Part folk. Part pop. Patterns made by the intersecting black lines nod to sacred geometry, stained glass, and tribal pattern work. Facial features are simplified allowing the viewer to project themselves into the painting and "become the goddess" for a moment. Conversely, commissioned portraits for clients are more traditional in technique and application, but in the spirit of my goddess work, I often paint spirited young ladies and pioneering women.

Inspired by the surroundings of my rural studio deep in the woods, I feel I am living out the characters in my paintings and vice versa. Each Summer I welcome students and visitors to join me for classes and outdoor events, providing a quiet, safe place where they can also connect with nature. I also exhibit my art through galleries and occasional shows and festivals.